I'd thought the droopy left eyelid and double vision were the result of being sick five months straight.

From February to June, I went from doctor to doctor, with no relief.

By the end of June, I awoke, in the middle of the night with the aforementioned along with the sensation of dizziness. Again, I attributed "it" to being sick 24/7.

Well, silly me, I got a glass of water and staggered back to bed. Who knew? As a 100 percent healthy woman (rugged someone call­ed me), I've had no health issues whatsoever before this. I'm not bragging, just stating a fact.

Several hours later I was in a CT scanner trying not to fall apart, remaining calm while the "inside of me" screamed, "What the hell happened?" All my other senses were fine and working well.

As a cold, unfeeling machine did its job, I focused on a pleasant event of long, long ago, so as not to be consumed with the event of the moment. Being "scared" does not even come close to what I was feeling.

The beach has always been my go-to escape for as long as I can recall. Eyes closed, I pulled an image out of my long-ago memories. I could feel a warm summer sun bathing my teenage skin a golden hue. A refreshing salty breeze rearranged my long, lustrous, wavy, blond hair.

At the ocean's edge, tempered water and wet sand squishing through my toes, I laughed with such joy, smiling happily, turning round and round trying to touch the blue sky and puffy, white clouds.

Suddenly my image was snatched away from me as quickly as I retrieved it. I was whisked back to my procedure.

There in the cold, harsh reality, thoughts of "I should have," "I could have," or "Why didn't I," filled my mind.

Before long, the doctor appeared. I'd suffered a stroke, an MRI was advised. It was way too much to handle all alone, all at once. I'd schedule the appointment for another day.

With discharge papers in hand, I high-tailed it to the nearest exit, wobbly, as my vision and gait were not yet back to normal.

Outside, the sun greeted me with warm, open arms. I'm not a religious person, but I do believe. I profusely thanked God for his blessing, because it was he that created the event and the now favorable outcome.

You see, God does visit us in his own way, and now, in his own way, he was telling me, "I've given you time. You've got more work to do." Why does it take a crisis to wake us up?

I pulled a hair ribbon off, releasing my signature ponytail, unleashing a flowing mane of now lustrous, silver white, wavy curls, which flew in every direction as a fresh breeze swirled around me. I sucked in freedom and was so thankful that I could.

Strangely, I could hear a distant salty beach wind calling me.

Obviously, it was that time to make decisions regarding dreams, desires ... and my destiny.